HP EliteBook 8440P: At First Glance
The HP EliteBook 8440p is basically a laptop for business users, therefore, it lacks entertainment features seen in most of its competitors. However, because of its durable build quality, excellent functionality, and impressive power, it is also ideal for students.
After the Apple MacBook Pro, this laptop is one of the toughest in the market, thanks to its aluminum build. It is, however, significantly less comfortable to carry than the thin and smooth MacBook Pro due to its massive form and thick dimensions.
The laptop’s chassis is designed to withstand vibrations, dust, humidity, and severe temperatures, making it suitable for practically any situation. Furthermore, this laptop is both inexpensive and long-lasting, making it ideal for students and business users looking for a low-cost laptop.
The HP EliteBook 8440P had a starting price of $169.99 at the time the article was published (July 2021).
Is a laptop this cheap capable of performing? Continue reading to find out!
HP EliteBook 8440P: Design, Dimension & Weight
The EliteBook 8440p continues with the same esthetic history as other EliteBooks (such as the previous EliteBook 6930p).
The lid and top half of the laptop are built of a beautifully made smooth brushed metal. The same brushed metal covers the slightly curved palm rest which makes this laptop extremely convenient for use.
The matte display of HP’s EliteBook 8440p comes in 1366 x 768-pixel resolution, this resolution is quite sufficient and the colors are bright and sharp. This matte display spreads the reflection well and even under bright office lighting, keeps the screen visible.
The display’s viewing angles are also very good, but colors become inaccurate at extreme angles. In addition, the viewing angles allow users to use the laptop at various angles without the danger of a false-color image blurring.
The 14-inch display screen lid can tilt from a closed position to 180 degrees. The 180-degree tilt offers a vertical angle that is suitable for any environment.
Since its previous model, HP slightly modified the EliteBook 8440P’s keyboard design; the keys are no longer contoured or chiclet-shaped, as they were previously. Rather, they’re a mixture of the two: the keys tier up in a terraced design while touching one another at their base.
The keyboard is sturdy, featuring a spill-resistant layer and drainage holes that keep liquid spills away from internal components. It’s also comfortable to use, with large keys that respond quickly and move almost silently.
Although the keyboard isn’t backlit, a little light to the right of the webcam gives more than enough illumination when working in a darkly lit environment. This light is quite handy, but it isn’t as effective as Apple’s self-illuminating backlit keyboards on MacBook Pro laptops.
Touch-sensitive buttons above the keyboard allow users to turn on and off the touchpad and wireless connection, control the volume, and open a Web browser. A button also opens a menu to install HP software, such as HP’s 3D DriveGuard, which protects your data.
Users can unlock the laptop without a password using the laptop’s optional fingerprint sensor situated at the bottom right of the keyboard deck. HP ProtectTools, HP Spare Key, and HP Disk Sanitizer are some of the other security features available.
SkyRoom, a new HP collaboration tool, has been added to the EliteBook 8440P’s set of features. Users can share not only high-definition video but also applications running on either PC with this video conferencing app.
HP also includes QuickWeb and QuickLook 3 apps which allow users to browse the web and check e-mail without having to boot into Windows. When the system is shut off, just press the Web browser touch-sensitive button above the keyboard to launch HP QuickWeb – a browser-only version of DeviceVM’s popular Splashtop instant-on operating system.
HP’s EliteBook 8440P, like Lenovo’s, comes with both a pointing stick and a touchpad. The pointing stick, which is placed at the center of the keyboard, can also be used to navigate the cursor on the display screen.
The 71.12 x 35.56 mm touchpad, on the other hand, is a little cramped but has a lovely smooth surface. Moreover, unlike the glossy touchpads seen on the Mini 5102 and Pavilion series, the EliteBook’s touchpad provides very little resistance.
The HP EliteBook 8440P offers a large number of ports for such a low price. A DVD drive, Ethernet, modem, and a combo eSATA/USB 2.0 port are all located on the right side of the laptop.
On the left side, there are three extra USB ports, FireWire, headphone and mic jacks, and an ExpressCard/54 slot. An SD Card reader is also located on the front edge of the laptop, while VGA and DisplayPort ports are located on the back allowing video output to a bigger screen.
A 2-megapixel webcam is situated at the top of the laptop’s screen bezel. During video calls, the webcam provided very smooth, but slightly washed-out visuals.
The EliteBook 8440p also comes with a three-year limited warranty and toll-free phone support from HP. Users will be able to benefit from Remote diagnostic and help for issues such as boot-up issues, system performance issues, network connectivity issues, and other concerns.
Furthermore, the warranty entitles customers to Accidental Damage Protection and Absolute Theft Protection software.
In terms of dimensions and weight, the HP EliteBook 8440P measures 335.5 x 236.2 x 31.2 mm and weighs 2120 g. However, the battery adds to the laptop’s overall weight.
As a result, the weight of your laptop will be determined by the battery in the laptop you buy. So if you get an EliteBook 8440P that comes with a 9-cell battery, the battery adds 150 g – making 2270 g.
In comparison to the Dell Latitude E5430, the HP EliteBook 8440P is rather heavy. The Dell Latitude E5430 weighs 2040 g and measures 350 x 240 x 29.9 mm in size.
To summarize, the EliteBook 8440P has a good build quality and a long-lasting design, but it is heavier than most of its competitors. As a result, I’ll rate the EliteBook 8440P an overall design score of eight out of ten.
HP EliteBook 8440P: Processor (CPU) Performance
A 4-core Intel Core i7-720QM CPU powers the HP EliteBook 8440P. This processor has a 1.60 GHz base frequency and a 2.80 GHz maximum frequency, as well as a 6 MB cache.
This processor also includes Turbo Boost technology, which boosts the processor’s clock speed for better performance in single-threaded/lightweight applications. With this turbo boost technology, users will be able to enjoy faster processing performance if the laptop is running within the power, current, and temperature specification limits.
With a Core i7-720QM processor, the EliteBook 8440P is a terrific multitasker. Without breaking a sweat, the processors can handle 25 Chrome tabs and three 1080p YouTube videos all running simultaneously.
To further determine the processor’s performance, I conducted a Cinebench R10 benchmark test. According to the benchmark test, the HP EliteBook 8440P’s Intel Core i7-720QM processor scored 3061 points.
In comparison, The EliteBook 8440P performed slightly better than the Samsung NP-R780. According to the same benchmark test, the Samsung NP-R780 which has the same processor as the EliteBook 8440P scored 3039 points.
In conclusion, the EliteBook 8440P has a capable processor that can handle almost any computing task. Therefore, I will be rating the laptop a nine for its excellent processor performance.
HP EliteBook 8440P: Memory (RAM) Performance
The HP EliteBook 8440P laptop features two DDR3 RAM slots with a total capacity of 8 GB – a maximum of 4 GB in each slot. The laptop I reviewed had 4 gigabytes of RAM in one slot and none in the other.
Even though a maximum memory of 8 GB RAM is quite small for laptops these days – the 4 GB RAM which came with the laptop I reviewed was good at multitasking. To test its multitasking abilities, I had to open up to 15 chrome tabs.
Apps like WhatsApp, Facebook, Youtube, Gmail, and others were opened in the chrome tabs. Even though these applications were all running at the same time, this laptop performed smoothly, without experiencing any lag or slowing down.
To further determine how well the memory performs, I conducted a PCMark 10 test. The HP EliteBook 8440P received a score of 2514 points in the test.
In comparison, the Lenovo ThinkPad L470 outperformed the HP EliteBook 8440P. The Lenovo ThinkPad L470 achieved a score of 2638 points in the PCMark 10 test.
Finally, for its memory performance and multitasking ability, I’ll rate the HP Pavilion x360 a seven out of 10.
HP EliteBook 8440P: Storage Option & Performance
This laptop has impressed me since the beginning of this review, and it does not disappoint when it comes to storage. The HP EliteBook 8440P is available with a range of storage options.
The EliteBook 8440P is available with an SSD storage option offering a maximum capacity of 256 GB. You also have the option of getting the laptop with a 7200 RPM hard drive with a maximum capacity of 500 GB.
A MultiMedia card reader is also included in this laptop for additional storage. The laptop’s storage maximum capacity is less than most competitors, but it should be more than enough for most students and business users.
The laptop I reviewed had a 250 GB hard drive. In 44 seconds, the 250 GB 7200 RPM hard drive was able to boot into Windows 7 Professional (32-bit).
However, this boot time is 15 seconds slower than the category average and 1 second faster than the Lenovo ThinkPad T410. To determine the transfer speed of the HDD, I conducted a storage transfer test.
The transfer test includes copying 4.97 GB of mixed media. The EliteBook 8440P was able to transfer the mixed media in 2 minutes and 49 seconds at a rate of 29.6 MBps.
In addition, the HDD’s file transfer speed of 29.6 MBps is well above the 23.5 MBps category average.
In comparison to the Lenovo ThinkPad T410, the EliteBook 8440P performed slightly better. The ThinkPad T410 was able to copy 4.97 GB of mixed media in 2 minutes and 55 seconds for a rate of 29.1 MBps.
In conclusion, the HP EliteBook 8440P performed excellently in the file transfer test and also offers various storage options. Therefore, I will rate the laptop an eight for its excellent storage performance.
HP EliteBook 8440P: Graphics Card Performance
Just like its storage, the HP EliteBook 8440P offers multiple graphics options. You can either get the laptop with integrated Intel Graphics Media Accelerator HD or NVIDIA NVS 3100M for the graphics card options.
Unfortunately, the Intel Graphics Media Accelerator HD doesn’t feature a dedicated VRAM. However, the NVIDIA NVS 3100M comes with a 512 MB GDDR3 dedicated VRAM.
The Intel Graphics Media Accelerator HD has a base GPU frequency of 500 MHz and a maximum GPU frequency of 606 MHz. On the other hand, the NVIDIA NVS 3100M graphics card has a base frequency of 766 MHz and a maximum frequency of 1468 MHz.
Both graphics card options of the HP EliteBook 8440P aren’t capable of running AAA title games or graphic-intensive apps. However, they are suitable for playing casual games and running most Adobe applications.
Moreover, I strongly recommend the NVIDIA NVS 3100M graphics card if you are getting the EliteBook 8440P for graphics designing. This is because it features a dedicated VRAM.
An Intel Graphics Media Accelerator HD graphics card came with the laptop I reviewed. To determine its graphics capability, I conducted a 3DMark06 test.
In the test, the graphics card scored 1,766 points, which is lower than the category average of 2127 points. However, it performed better than the Lenovo ThinkPad T410 with its integrated Intel graphics card which scored 1374 points.
To further determine the graphics card performance, I conducted a gaming test. While playing World of Warcraft, the laptop delivered 50 fps with the resolution at 1024 x 768, and in a low graphical setting.
However, with the resolution set to 1366 x 768 and in a high graphical setting, the laptop managed only 10 fps.
In comparison, the EliteBook 8440P performed better than the ThinkPad T410. While playing World of Warcraft, the ThinkPad T410 only managed 27 fps at 1024 x 768 resolution and in a low graphical setting.
In conclusion, this laptop may not be for gaming but its graphics performance is quite decent for such a cheap price. Therefore, I will rate the laptop a seven in this graphics review.
HP EliteBook 8440P: Battery Life & Performance
The HP EliteBook 8440P comes with four different battery options. The battery options include 9-cell 93 WHr Li-Ion, 6-cell 55 WHr Li-Ion, 6-cell 37 WHr Li-Ion, or 6-cell 51 WHr Li-Ion batteries.
The laptop I reviewed came with a 6-cell 55 WHr Li-Ion battery. According to HP, the laptop’s battery should last about 4 hours, which is well below most business laptops.
To determine the laptop’s battery performance, I conducted a battery test. The battery test includes continuously surfing the internet using a WIFI connection and setting the brightness to medium.
In the battery test, the HP EliteBook 8440P lasted about 4 hours and 41 minutes.
Comparatively, the EliteBook 8440P had a better run time than the Lenovo ThinkPad T410. The ThinkPad T410’s 6-cell battery had a run time of 3 hours and 53 minutes in the same battery test.
Finally, I rate the laptop’s battery a seven for its average battery life.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. The HP EliteBook 8440p is a great deal for budget-conscious business users. For less than $200, you get a fantastic Core i7 processor and a sleek and solid chassis.
At the top of the laptop’s display bezel, there is a built-in dual microphone array.
No, it’s not. Hewlett-Packard, or HP, is a well-known laptop manufacturer based in the United States. Bill Hewlett and David Packard founded the corporation in 1939. HP has a large selection of laptops to pick from and is well-liked by its customers.
The EliteBook 8440P has a starting price of $169.99 as of July 2021, when this article was published.
A webcam is located on the laptop screen’s upper edge.
Conclusion
The HP EliteBook 8440p is a good option for business users on a budget. For less than $200, you get superb Core i7 performance, solid design, and an impressive set of ports.
Given that a Lenovo ThinkPad T410 with identical configuration costs more but lacks the metal lid and deck, I believe the EliteBook 8440p is the better deal.
When compared to its competitors, the EliteBook 8440p offers a mixed bag of features and capabilities. Its excellent build quality and usability make it an excellent choice for students, but this laptop is designed solely for work, leaving little time for fun.
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